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Partners in Pregnancy and Parenting (PiPP) is an initiative of the Indian River Healthy Start Coalition and the Indian River Medical Center. It is funded in part by the United Way of Indian River county.

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This internet blog provides information of a general nature and is designed for the purpose of education, and information. If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your baby, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

As any woman who has ever been overdue and anxious to get to the finish line will tell you – there are lots of ideas out there about how to bring on labor. There is the eating hot curries idea. Then there is the driving over the railway lines without using the break idea. Some woman swear by castor oil or enormous quantities of fresh pineapple, although both have unpleasant side effects! We’ve even heard of women repeatedly jogging up flights of stairs as if to shake their baby loose. But the question most likely to bring on either fits of giggles or extensive eye rolling is… does sex induce labor?

You don’t have to go too far to find someone who will swear up and down that it was having sex that last time that kick-started their labor. After all sex is what started it if your baby was made the old fashioned way. Doesn’t it stand to reason that sex can somehow help at the end?

The reason why researchers have explored this link is threefold. Firstly semen contains prostaglandin which promotes uterine contractions and offers cervix-softening properties. Then there are the uterine contractions of the female orgasm. Finally breast stimulation has been shown to hasten labor. It is these factors combined which would seem to suggest that where a cervix is almost ripe and a uterus almost ready, sex might help things along.

However despite how often the question is asked by pregnant women, minimal research exists on whether sex induces labor. Most studies that have been conducted are relatively small and largely inconclusive. A research study conducted between March 2008 and June 2011 attempted to determine once and for all whether sex induces labor.

Including 1200 participants all around 36 weeks pregnant, this study split the women into two groups – one that was told sex is a natural method to safely induce labor, and the other that was told there is no conclusive evidence that sex induces labor. The researches then collected information about how often the women had sex between recruitment and the onset of labor. They also collected data on how long after recruitment labor occurred and the number of inductions.

So what did the study find? The group of women told that sex induces labor seemed to be having more sex in their final weeks of pregnancy than those in the group told sex had no obvious benefit. However the women who engaged in more sex got to the baby-birthing finish line no faster than their skeptical peers. There was also a similar rate of induction in both groups. There are problems with this study though in that it did not consider how much sex the women were having and compare that to how quickly they went into labor. You have to eat 7 large fresh pineapples before you seen any uterine activity. If sex does induce labor… how much sex does it take?

The long and short of it is, while there might seem to be logical reasons why sex might induce labor, we have no conclusive evidence to prove it is true. So if in those last weeks of pregnancy you feel like having sex, and you have not be told to do otherwise by your doctor or midwife, then feel free to indulge to your heart’s content…. just don’t pin your hopes on the idea that sex induces labor!

The benefits of moving more during pregnancy begin immediately and last your whole life. Your baby will start reaping the benefits in utero, too. Here’s a laundry list of reasons to start exercising today, along with excuse-busting ways to overcome some common obstacles…

There is an interesting study that reaffirms what our mammal cousins have known instinctively for thousands of years… birth should happen in a dark, comfortable place. It also helps explain why most women go into labor in the middle of the night. And why so many labors can slow down or stall in a hospital setting.
The study’s abstract says this in conclusion: “[Melatonin] synergizes with [oxytocin] to promote [uterine smooth muscle] contractions and to facilitate gap junction activity [in a controlled testing environment]. Such a synergy in [a living human] would promote coordinated and forceful contractions of the late term pregnant uterus necessary for [childbirth]” (Sharkey, Puttaramu, Word and Olcese, “Melatonin Synergizes with Oxytocin to Enhance Contractility of Human Myometrial Smooth Muscle Cells“).

Fascinating stuff. It makes complete sense! Melatonin is the hormone responsible for inducing sleep. Our bodies increase production of melatonin in darkness, and most humans’ melatonin levels peak in the wee hours of the morning. Daylight and artificial light reduce melatonin production.

Now, it gets even more interesting… meditation increases melatonin production. Some of the most effective coping strategies for labor are akin to meditation–progressive relaxation, visualization, breathing techniques–so it makes sense why they’re so helpful.

So… let’s just be logical here… if melatonin and oxytocin synergize to produce labor contractions, wouldn’t it make sense to do everything possible to keep melatonin levels high during childbirth?

If you really want to facilitate the birth process, take a lesson from your pet cat.

Turn off the lights!You can control the lights and blinds in your room. Get to a comfortable place. Do whatever you can to relax and get into a sleep-like meditative state. Let your body do what it already knows how to do. When it’s time to leave your dark/comfortable nest, take along some sunglasses and someone who can protect your birthing space from unnecessary distractions and interruptions. Keep those melatonin levels high!

We often get asked “what can help me go into labor?” . And while there are a ton of myths and ideas that can supposedly help a woman go into labor. The reality is, it has everything to do with your baby (emitting hormones, positioning…)

BUT…It is always interesting that SOME of those ideas are steeped in science. A whole post on that coming later…

SO… in the “it certainly can’t hurt” category…. a variation of these Labor Inducing cookies has been floating around the Internet for a long time. Supposedly it’s the spice from the ginger that works its magic on your body and causes you go to into labor. Some think it’s the cayenne pepper. Regardless of which spice gets things moving, but they are certainly tasty!

Supposedly after eating these, you’ll go into labor within 24 hours. (Myth? perhaps. But as we always teach….diverting your attention, doing something that involves your senses can be calming and helpful in those end stages of pregnancy…

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda and spices together in a bowl, mixing them together and set them aside. Then cream the sugar together with the butter. Slowly cream the molasses into the butter mixture. Once that’s incorporated, add the egg whites.

Next you will add the dry ingredients a bit at a time to the wet mixture. This is usually best done by hand with a utensil. Once the mix is together, you will place 1 inch balls of dough onto your parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake these cookies for 9-11 minutes, depending on your oven times. I usually recommend you watch the first batch to figure out a more precise time for your oven.

Once the cookies are done, they will be slightly browned on the edges. Bring them out and allow them to cook on the cooling rack. Feast away!